LSK is crazy!

I'm in Lusaka - boy has it been a crazy week/end. I'll sum it up for you.

I left my hut at 04:00 on Thursday morning, had to walk the 1st 10k, too dark to see the road, even w/ my light - did see some little creature with glowing eyes, hope it was vegetarian, glad it didn't chase me!

A double-decker bus, coach bus and 2 mini buses later, I was in Serenje - arrival time: 19:00! What a trip. There weren't enough seats on the 1st bus so I had to sit in the baggage hold behind the drivers - pretty appropriate for a girl who took naps in an overhead storage compartment. It was actually nicer and more comfy than the reg seats.

Friday we had the party at Provincials =- Circus theme. This great crazy guy Steve was the ringmaster. He recited this poem about how much Central Prov rocks, just as he was finishing, Doc lit the fireworks and as the fireworks went off and Steve finished the poem, the circus music started! It was awesome!!! (Where do we get circus music in Zambia? My cd collection - hee hee. The fireworks, full size, were from LSK). We even had a popcorn machine and lots of food, 2 pigs this time. Great costumes, Spicer and Booze went as Siamese twins, had a special shirt made for it. There was a human cannonball, a half giraffe half woman, Joey - who's Philippine - went as a savage. There was a mime (not me) some clowns and all sorts of other great stuff. I was the little girl that goes to the circus :) Pink checkered dress (you all know it) white knee-highs, black mary-janes, pig tails with pink bows, a giant sucker I got in a package, the cute pink My Little Pony purse from Mommy and I had Daddy Bunny - perfect! Great fun - except I crashed early because the night before - when I had been up since 3:30, I went to bed at 3:30. Oh well.

Saturday we all got up late - I played cribbage all day and by all day I mean 6 or 7 hours. I only lose when we play teams. In fact, I've been labeled the best cribbage player in Zambia! (Told them they need to play Katrina or Daddy, they usually beat me.) Now, if I can just teach people Sheepshead.

Sunday we came down here - 16 people in the land cruiser, way way squished for the first few hours. We met up with other PCVLs at Kapiri-Mposhi and traded out some ppl. Then we were still squished but no one was laying across everyone else or sitting on the back of the seats and we could shut the back door.

Almost our whole training group is here and that was a great surprise. All the staff and PCVLs that have been around awhile say they have never seen a group with as much commradarie as our group. We rock!

Yesterday we had meetings - I got to be on a committee which means not only do I get input - I didn't have to take ANY vay-cay days to be here and I got paid to be her (per diem K65,00!). Sweet!

Since there's a lot of volunteers here, there are a lot of ppl to still meet. Yesterday Spicer introduces me to this guy Matteau (who's really full of himself and supposedly every girl here wants him) by saying this: "This is ------, she has the best breasts in our group." Thanks Nikki! yi! Not exactly a good way to meet someone - plus she's full of it, there are way too many great sets in our group to say that about me. But Spicer insists and has even started giving her reasons accompanied by descriptions of me and others - oh dear.

The place we went to dinner not only had great food - it had pina coladas!
And then last night we all went out to a bar - over ran the place, about 40 of us (10 in 1 cab). The bar had Jack! Ouch. Here you have to buy the soda and the liquor separate and mix yourself. Jack doubles = K20,000. Coke = K3,000. I had 6...hmmm...bad me. After the 3 pinas at dinner and that, not pretty. Well, everyone here thought they'd never see that and they prob won't see it again. At least most of them were so gone they won't remember. Emily can attest to how little I actually drink like that (unlike her, hee hee.) But I probably shouldn't have told Tim I wanted a lap dance - oh well, at least he's cute, and more importantly, has a sense of humor.

Today is just chilling for me. Tomorrow we head to Monze for a night (not all of us just the So crew, Shane and a few partiers). Then Kalomo for a few nights and then on to Livingstone - We're going white water rafting again!!! WOO HOO! And this time of year they start right at the bottom of the falls. Kick vampire. Oh - Katrina, I've got ppl here saying vampire now :) After that, back to Kalomo a bit then back to Monze and then finally back to my Zam-Fam. I miss them.

So everyone can see just how much traveling this all is, here's a Zam map site: The maps are a bit odd but I had to find some with the cities. http://www.zambiatourism.com/welcome.htm To see where I started select the Southern Map, to see where I passed through select Central and to see where provincials were in Serenje, select Great North Road. :)
Hopefully I'll update again soon(er than last time)


Mom, this website is for you and Kaite: http://www.zambiatourism.com/

(Original Post)

Crazy

Hello

Haven't been on in awhile - just a hello for now.
HELLO


Mom - I e-mailed you at 3 addresses, if you don't get the e-mail check mine, I e-mailed me too, if that doesn't work, e-mail me. Canvas shoes are wherever Dad put my shoes. Love you!

(Original Post)

For My Mommy's Birthday

Happy 50th Birthday Mommy!!!

In keeping with the original spirit (and intent) of this journal - A STORY!!!! A dinner story.


One time on vacation, the whole family was sitting at a table in a resturant. Normal Schultz conversation going on I'm sure, though I don't remember and normal Schultz convo is rarely "normal". Daddy turns to me, "You know, you were your mother's birthday present." "But Dad, I was born around your, oh...."

(Original Post)

Another trip to town...

Hi all... My bike is fixed - hooray! A piece of metal rod, two wooden circles and some thin straps of rubber are holding my front tire on! I was so excited to be back on my bike again after almost a month and then not even 1/2 way here my back tire got a flat - 2 punctures! We (Ba Lenix and I) patched it up and got to town.

I had to take transport in and out of town a few times. I think the cross hanging from the rear-view mirror is a better representation of how that vehicle gets anywhere safely than the gas gauge or speedometer (neither of which move.) First time on the trip out I sat next to a guy with a headwound. Second time on the way in I sat next to an older man and a girl with a skin disease - and all times, sandwiched in the middle of the front of the cab - it's sure better than the flatbed back!

I hope everyone is well. I miss you guys.

Mom that package was awesome!

Tim and I are going to Livingstone this weekend and will be there a bit. The last Monday Emily Day this year and I won't even be in my hut, oh well. Mommy, I'll be thinking of you esp on Tuesday ;)

Our CSC has finished the project proposal and as a back-up it's saved at a new Blog so you can all read it if you want to! cheelo.blogspot.com The budget didn't copy in exactly in form and the action plan isn't there but anyone who wants more details can post there and we'll reply. Mom, can you please save the word part in a Word.doc in case our disc gets ruined and the int goes down - thanks.

I think that's it for today - except for the birthday post I'm doing early.

Thank you to everyone who has sent letters and packages and even just put posts on here. Those things really help when I'm frustrated and keep me going when I'm homesick. I don't know how I'd make it without you guys and the support you send me. Love you all!

(Original Post)

Chipper

For Mommy and Daddy

Happy 25th Anniversary :)

It's late in the evening; she's wondering what clothes to wear.
She puts on her make-up and brushes her long blonde hair.
And then she asks me, "Do I look all right?"
And I say, "Yes, you look wonderful tonight."
We go a party and everyone turns to see
This beautiful lady that's walking around with me.
And then she asks me, "Do you feel all right?"
And I say, "Yes, I feel wonderful tonight."
I feel wonderful because I see
The love light in your eyes.
And the wonder of it all
Is that you just don't realize how much I love you.
It's time to go home now and I've got an aching head,
So I give her the car keys and she helps me to bed.
And then I tell her, as I turn out the light,
I say, "My darling, you were wonderful tonight.
Oh my darling, you were wonderful tonight."

(Original Post)

Loved